玩泥巴长大的孩子，有什么不一样？

#英文外刊#

童年的你，有没有过这样的经历：每次换上干净的衣服，妈妈都会再三叮嘱“不许踩水坑”？每次玩得脏兮兮地回到家，就不得不面对妈妈的怒火？其实，喜欢玩泥巴是孩子的天性，而且研究发现，事实上玩泥巴对孩子的身心健康十分有益。玩泥巴对孩子到底有何好处？背后的原理又是怎样的？一起来听今天的讲解。

How Mud Boosts Your Immune System

玩泥巴如何改善身体免疫系统

Children love getting dirty. They are drawn to puddles like muddy magnets, with no regard for footwear or the colour of their clothing. But getting mucky could have a powerful effect on their wellbeing, too.

孩子们总是喜欢把自己弄脏。泥水坑就像一块块沾着泥巴的磁铁一样，吸引着孩子们踩进去，他们毫不在意自己穿的鞋子或衣服的颜色。不过，变得脏兮兮的，其实会对孩子的身体健康带来非常积极的影响。

"Don't get dirty!" was once a constant family refrain, as parents despairingly watched their children spoil their best clothes. Whether they were running through farmers' fields, climbing trees or catching tadpoles, it was inevitable that children's whites would turn brown before the day was over.

“别弄脏了！”曾是一句家长挂在嘴边的话，因为家长们经常绝望地看到，孩子们又把他们最好的衣服弄脏了。无论孩子们是在农田里奔跑、爬树还是抓小蝌蚪，这一天还没结束，他们的白衣服无一例外，总是会变得很脏。

According to recent research, the dirt outside is teeming with friendly microorganisms that can train the immune system and build resilience to a range of illnesses, including allergies, asthma and even depression and anxiety.

而最近研究显示，户外尘土中有很多有益的微生物，能改善我们的免疫系统，让我们建立对过敏、哮喘甚至是抑郁和焦虑等多种疾病的免疫力。

Many of the psychological benefits of outdoor play are already well established. Our brains evolved in natural landscapes. Outdoor play can offer valuable learning experiences. For example, the act of moulding and kneading materials like mud or sand can help children develop the way their senses and movement interact.

户外活动对于心理健康的许多益处早已获得证实。我们的大脑是在自然环境中进化的，而户外活动能为此带来许多宝贵的学习经验。比如，像堆砌、揉捏泥沙等材料的行为，有助于提升孩子们感官与动作之间的相互作用。

People who grow up on farms are generally less likely to develop asthma, allergies, or auto-immune disorders like Crohn's disease – thanks, apparently, to their childhood exposure to a more perse range of organisms in the rural environment that had encouraged more effective regulation of the immune system.

通常，在农场上长大的人，患有哮喘、过敏或像克罗恩病一样的自体免疫性疾病的几率较小。很显然，这要得益于他们童年时生活在乡村环境中，接触到更多样化的生物体种类，有助于更有效地调节免疫系统。

生词好句

1.drawn to

If you are "drawn to something", you think that the thing is interesting or attractive. The thing "attracts" you, or you are drawn to it.

拓展:

I like all of these shoes here in the shop, but I'm drawn to these blue ones.

店里所有的鞋子我都喜欢，但我更喜欢这双蓝色的。

I'm looking at these jackets. I might buy one. I'm quite drawn to this green one here.

我正在看这些夹克。我可能会买一件。我被这件绿色的完全吸引住了。

2.mucky

英 [ˈmʌki] 美 [ˈmʌki]

adj. dirty

拓展:

Take your mucky boots off!

把你的脏靴子脱掉！

Don't touch the door with your mucky hands!

不要用你的脏手碰门！

3.refrain

英 [rɪˈfreɪn] 美 [rɪˈfreɪn]

n. a short sentence or fact that is repeated many times

拓展:

Every year in the news, we hear the same refrain: we should be using less energy at home.

每年我们都能在新闻中，听到同样的话：我们在家里应该少用能源。

When I was young, a constant family refrain was "Get your feet off the sofa."

我小的时候，家里经常说的一句话就是"把你的脚从沙发上拿下来"。

4.despairingly

英 [dɪˈspeərɪŋli] 美 [dɪˈsperɪŋli]

adv. If you say or do something despairingly, you express a feeling that you cannot improve a bad situation. You express the feeling of a situation that is so bad that you cannot change it, you cannot make it better.

拓展:

She wanted to buy the beautiful dress, but she looked despairingly into her empty purse.

她想买这件漂亮的裙子，但她只能绝望地看着她的空钱包。

She ran into the station. She watched despairingly as the train left the station.

她跑进了车站，绝望地看着火车驶离。

5.whites

英 [waɪts] 美 [waɪts]

[pl] n. white clothes, especially when we are talking about washing clothes

拓展:

In my house, a constant family refrain is "Has anyone got any whites that need washing?"

在我家常说的一句话就是"有谁需要洗白衣服吗？"

I left a red sock in the washing machine - now all my whites are pinks.

我在洗衣机里落下了一只红袜子，现在我所有的白色衣服都成粉色的了。

6.before the day was over

This is a useful expression for telling stories. Before the day was (or is) over, before the end of the day.

拓展:

I need to pack my bags before the day is over.

我得今天之内收拾完行李。

I went for a job interview this morning. I will hear from them — I will hear their decision before the day is over.

今天早上我去面试了。我会在今天结束之前收到他们的回复、收到他们的决定。

7.teeming with

Teeming with means "full of" something, especially lots of people, or lots of animals...We often use it with people.

拓展:

During the school holidays, the swimming pool is teeming with kids.

学校放假期间，游泳池里都是孩子。

The shopping mall is teeming with people at weekends.

周末购物中心挤满了人。

8.(the) benefits of…are already well established.

We often use these words together. What we mean is the benefits of something are well-known; we already know the benefits.

拓展:

The benefits of regular physical exercise are already well established.

定期体育锻炼的好处已经被证实了。

The benefits of eight hours of sleep per night are already well established.

每晚八小时睡眠的好处已经很明确了。

9.generally less likely to

These words are often used together. When we want to say that something probably will not happen, we can use "generally less likely to".

拓展:

Students who have a good study plan and revision plan are generally less likely to fail the exams.

有良好的学习计划和复习计划的学生一般不太可能考试不及格。

People who eat less sugar are generally less likely to have problems with their teeth.

吃糖较少的人通常不太可能出现牙齿问题。

10.apparently

英 [əˈpærəntli] 美 [əˈperəntli]

adv. It has many different meanings depending on the sentence or the situation. The most common meaning is when I read something, or someone told me something, but I don't know if it's true.

拓展:

Apparently, she quit her job because she hated her colleagues.

显然，她辞职是因为她讨厌她的同事。

Apparently, his new novel is based on real events from his childhood.

显然，他的新小说是根据他童年的真实事件改编的。